Theater Review: "Ginger Twinsies" Turns "The Parent Trap" Into a Campy Cult Classic
In the spirit of Airplane! and Forbidden Broadway, Ginger Twinsies takes a madcap swing at the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap and doesn’t miss a beat — literally. Written and directed by Kevin Zak, the off-Broadway parody runs the movie’s plot almost scene for scene, but ladles in pop-culture riffs, queer sensibilities, and an avalanche of Lindsay Lohan references. The result is an irreverent, laugh-until-you-cry experience that feels tailor-made for millennial audiences who grew up rewinding VHS tapes.
The show opens with a clever structural detour: Meredith Blake, the gold-digging villainess, is framed not as the story’s antagonist but as its patient zero. Producer Elaine Hendrix, who originated the role in the 1998 film, has a little fun with her legacy, introducing Meredith (played here by Phillip Taratula in full drag diva mode) inside a psychiatric facility. From there, the action flashes back to the infamous summer camp where Annie James and Hallie Parker discover they’re identical twins.
Taratula’s Meredith is a show in herself. Sporting a series of literal “hat on a hat" gags. With ever-shrinking nested hats stacked on her head, she commands the stage with high-camp bravado. She even breaks the fourth wall in a nod to Six, turning to the audience to debate whether Meredith, the scheming parents, or the changeling twins are the true villains.
As the ginger-haired sisters, Russell Daniels (Annie) and Aneesa Folds (Hallie) milk the absurdity of their non-resemblance for every possible laugh. Characters marvel at how identical they look, a gag that never loses steam. Their summer-camp antics are staged with pure camp in every sense of the word, setting the tone for a show that refuses to take itself seriously.
The ensemble leans into the farce with broad, hammy performances, each one heightening the chaos. It’s theater at its most playful - low budget, high imagination, and constantly teetering on the edge of ridiculous.
Zak’s direction laces the show with sly tributes to Broadway favorites. A standout comes when Annie says goodbye to the Parker family butler, Martin (Jimmy Ray Bennett). What should be a secret handshake spirals into a full-ensemble production number that mashes up Wicked’s bombast with the percussive clutter of Stomp. These nods work less as satire and more as affectionate inside jokes for theater-savvy crowds.
Elsewhere, the sexual tension among Nick Parker (Matthew Wilkas), Elizabeth James (Lakisha May), and Meredith is ratcheted up into PG-13 territory, complete with bawdy innuendo and sight gags. Chessy (Grace Reiter) and Martin’s subplots get the same cheeky treatment, giving the show much more raunchy fun than was present in the film.
Minimalist in staging but maximalist in humor, Ginger Twinsies feels destined for a second life as a queer cult classic. It’s the sort of production that could easily be revived by drag troupes and community theaters for decades to come, each time finding new resonance with fans who know The Parent Trap line for line.
Zak himself seems poised for big things, with projects in the works ranging from Rob Lake Magic with Special Guests The Muppets to a TV pilot with Tim Federle. Ginger Twinsies proves his knack for blending nostalgia with sharp satire, a combination that plays like gangbusters in front of a knowing audience.
Ginger Twinsies is not just a parody, it’s a love letter to a film that shaped a generation, refracted through the lens of drag, camp, and Broadway pastiche. It’s fast, filthy, and unabashedly silly, the kind of show that makes you laugh until your face hurts and leaves you wanting to see it again with friends who can quote every line. For audiences raised on Lindsay Lohan’s double act, this riotous send-up is a must-see.
Ginger Twinsies is now playing at New York City’s Orpheum Theatre through October 25th.